Headlight-dimming mechanism



- 1,63], May 1927' s. F. PHILLIPS ET AL 057 HEADLIGHT DIMMING MEGHANI SM Filed April 28, 1926 WITNESS:

Patented lViay 31,1927.

is S r -11 w Latest enoaen F. PHILLIPS A D THOMAS 1-1. 'TORIAN, or 'PADUCAH, KENTUCKY.

HEADLIGHT-DIMMING MECHANISM. a

Application filed April 28, 1926. SerialNo. 105,211.

This, invention relates to headlight dimming apparatus and has for its object the provision of'novel electrically or velectromagnetically operated means mounted upon a vehicle and operatively connected with shields or hoods movably mounted with re spect to the headlight whereby the operator may, upon approaching another car, cause the shields or hoods to be-swung into par- A, tially obstructing relation to the headlight 5 obtain the full so that the raystherefrom will be deflected downwardly onto the groundiin advance of the vehicleinstead of being permitted to pass straight ahead into the eyes of the oporator of the approaching car.

It is well known that many attempts have been made to design headlight lenses which will. avoid glare and. that many other efforts havebeen made to accomplish the desired result, but thus far most of the makeshift devices have proved unavailing and useless inasmuch as they are always in operation and it therefore becomes impossible for the operator of the vehicle thus equipped to illuminating power of his headlights when necessity arises.

It is with the a-bQve facts in view that we have designed the present invention which has for a more specific object the provision 0 of shield or hood devices pivoted'upon the headlamp and normally maintained out of obstructing relation to the rays of light therefrom, the hood devices being adapted to be swung forwardly. for deflecting the light downwardly upon the mere closing of a current control switch, electromagnetic means being provided for the purpose ofeffecting swinging movement of the shields or hoods into dimming position, and spring means being provided for normally holding the hoods or shields in inoperative or normal position. 7

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easy to construct and install, positive in action, eflicient and durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and the arrangement'and combination of parts to be hereings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a headlamp equipped with the shield device and operating mechanism therefor. M

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection showing the shield or hood in normal posi:

tion. 7 lb gure- 3 1s a' view showing the shield or hoodf tilted forwardlysimilar to Figure 2 into operative or light obstructing position.

Figure 4 is av diagrammatic plan view illustrating the c1rcu1t connections.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates the headli rht of an automobile, Bxrepresents, diagram: matically, the radiator and C the engine, which 1s, as usual, mounted -1n advance of the dash or instrument board D. The letter i E represents the source of current of the vehicle, generally a storage battery which, as is Well known, has one terminal grounded at F. The current connections to the bulbs in the headlights are not shown as they .form

no part of the present invention and as they maybe anything desired or conventional;

In carrying out the invention, weprovide a shield or hood lOfor each headlight or headlamp, the shield being constructed of any suitable material such as 'metal, celluloid :or the like and being of such shape in cross section as to embracingl-yengage about the headlamp. These shields are pivoted to the headlamps at substantially the centers of the latter, as indicated at lland th'ey'are preferably provided at their rear edges with depending extensions '12 adapted to-engage upon the top surfaces of the headlamp for the purpose of maintaining the shieldsnormally in horizontal position so asnot to in terfere with the emissionof light from the lamps. At one side, each of the shields or hoods is provided with a depending extension 13 with which is pivotally connected,

at 14, a rearwardly extending rod 15 slid-- able through the center ofa solenoid'16 mounted in any suitable bracket device 17' upon the side of the vehicle or upon the side of therengine C, as may be preferred bythe manufacturer or user.

The solenoids 16 are connected in series and one terminal of one is connected with the ground as indicated at 18 while the remaining terminal of the other one ofthe pair is connected by a conductor 19 with one terminal of a suitable switch device 20 mounted upon the mstrument board or dash D, theother terminal of this switch device being connected by a conductor 21 With the sonrceotfcurrentE;

In advance of the rods carry stopcollars bracket fstrnct ii'e, .the againstivh ch abutcoil sp ings 24 which also engage against'the adjacent bracket inenibers, these coijlsprings being provided for the purpose oi normally holding the rods 15 in their-i orwardinost positions with the shields or hoods 10 in normal or horizontal position so as to be in non-obstructing relation to the rays of light issuing from the lamps. Y

ing or dazzling the other driver, it'is n' ei' ly necessary that he close the sWitchQO so as to energize the solenoids 16. l/Vhen this is done, the rods 15 Will be drawninto the sol ioicls,resulting in rearward longitudinal movement of the rods 15 andco'nseqnent for Ward tilting movement of the shields or guards 10 into the position shown in Fig are 3. When this is done, it is clear than the light issuing from the lamps Will strike against the inneror under surfacesol the hoods or reflectors and will be deflected downwardly directly upon thero'advvay in advance of the vehicle so as to provide adequate illumination for the driver While at the same time the rays cannot projectont horizontally into the eyes of the approach-;

iiig eriven' The "device .is consequently a great safeguard to the motoring public and will insurecoinpliance with the regulations existing in inanycoininunities. It is really helievedthat the construction, operation and advantages willbe readily apparent to' one 1 skilled in the art Without further explanation. i

lVhile we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it

the head "lamps. V i l'V-lienever the driver a gproa-ches another car and wishes LO diin his l ghts toavoid blindshould he understood that We reserve the ri lit to make such changes in the form,-construction and arrangement of parts asWill not depart'ifiroin the spirit of the invention,

orthe scope of thesuhjoined claims.

' Having thus described the invention, We

claiin: l V v l. [i di 'nming device for an aiiton'ioloile heat lamp, comprising a visor curved in cross ctioii and straddlingly engaged over the dlainp and pivoted thereto at substanv its intermediateportion, said visor bem ans connected'vvitli'said' crank norinallymaintaining the f and-atependingjvertical flangea-t 1011' and bein adanted to ch e e the b. s .L vL": b

mrovioed below itspivot with a down extending crank arm, l'GELlWZLlCllY ng the visor downwardly, V

on to the raysof light issuing from r end oi the visoracting as a stopifor V ining the-"visor normally in 'horizontop of the lamp at the lens retaining rim for limitin the downward swingiiig nove ment or the visor. F 2..111 a dimming device for automob le eadlaiin'is, a visor pivoted upon the head: men; and adapted to he moved 'intofohstruct relation with the lig it issuing therefrom,

ling crank arms on the visor, a hori-' zoiitally disposed rear-Wardly extending rod depei pivotally connected with the crank arm, a

solenoid arranged in horizontal position means for supporting the solenoid upon the antoinohile, said rod being slidalole through the solenoid andthe supporting means therefor, an abutment element on the rod, and acoil spring surrounding the rod and having. one end engaging against said abutment elek ment and its other end engagingagainst one of the supporting ineanspfor the solenoid for position.

,90 normally maintaining the visor in normal" In testimony whereof wealiix our signa tui'es. v

GEO. PHILLIPS. TEHOMAS H; TORIAN, 

